Short answer: the Marshall Middleton if sound quality matters most, the Zealot S97 if price matters most. The Marshall Middleton ranks #31 of 77 large speakers at $224.90. The Zealot S97 ranks #46 at $65.86, $159.04 cheaper.
What the Marshall Middleton offers: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Watch for: 5db dip at 1.7khz and 6.3khz. 9khz treble peak. Not a very smooth frequency response. A lot of Marshall’s added dsp echo which cannot be turned off, very distracting and annoying. It’s like forcing you to listen to your music in an echo chamber. Bass is reasonably deep but artificial sounding and flabby, with no attack and no dynamics. Treble is rolled off.
What the Zealot S97 offers: There is nothing else for $48 with that deep of bass and a reasonable tuning Watch for: Doesn’t get very loud compared to other speakers in this class. Short battery life. Pretty heavy. Many say the S67 has deeper bass, but also gets more distorted
Buy the Marshall Middleton if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Zealot S97 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Battery life favors the Marshall Middleton: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Zealot S97.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton | Zealot S97 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $224.90 | $65.86 with coupon YZZL10 |
| Ranked | #31 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #46 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-A + USB-C) |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | 3 EQ presets |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX6 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.7" x 4.3" (230 x 95 x 109 mm) | 12.6" x 7.3" x 5.9" (321 x 185 x 151 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 76mm (3") woofers + 2x 38mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 50W | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| MicroSD Playback | - | Yes |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton: $224.90 Amazon eBay
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight.
Cons: 5db dip at 1.7khz and 6.3khz. 9khz treble peak. Not a very smooth frequency response. A lot of Marshall’s added dsp echo which cannot be turned off, very distracting and annoying. It’s like forcing you to listen to your music in an echo chamber. Bass is reasonably deep but artificial sounding and flabby, with no attack and no dynamics. Treble is rolled off.
Full Marshall Middleton review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.7" x 4.3" (230 x 95 x 109 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: 3 minutes ago….. Marshall Middleton Review, true stereophonic, no honestly 😊 More from alanrossreviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro MAX HiFi ?🆚 MARSHALL🎸MIDDELTON More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Marshall Middleton👌🎶 🆚 JBL Xtreme 4 🎶📢
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton - first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Danny Pops: Is it Any Good? - Marshall Middleton Review More from DannyPops →
- Smart Home Sounds: Best Premium Bluetooth Speakers: Sonos Move, JBL Xtreme 3, Marshall Middleton & More…
- Storytripper HD: Marshall Middleton vs Klipsch Detroit More from storytripperhd →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Reddit Search for Marshall Middleton Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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Zealot S97: $65.86 with coupon YZZL10 Aliexpress eBay
Pros: There is nothing else for $48 with that deep of bass and a reasonable tuning
Cons: Doesn’t get very loud compared to other speakers in this class. Short battery life. Pretty heavy. Many say the S67 has deeper bass, but also gets more distorted
Full Zealot S97 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.6" x 7.3" x 5.9" (321 x 185 x 151 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 76mm (3") woofers + 2x 38mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | 3 EQ presets |
| IP Rating | IPX6 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A + USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons